dizzojay: (Default)
dizzojay ([personal profile] dizzojay) wrote2018-01-11 08:46 pm

Snowflake Challenge - Day 10

Day 10 - In your own space, share your love for a trope, cliché, kink, motif, or theme. (Or a few!) Tell us what makes it work for you, and why it appeals to you so much. Talk about what you like to see in fanworks featuring that theme most. Feel free to include recs and examples!

For this challenge, I’m going to write about Hurt/Comfort. 

I’ve no idea why I love H/C, but I do, and I always have, even before I knew fanfiction existed.  I love the idea of a strong, independent person becoming vulnerable, hopefully temporarily because I'm a sucker for happy endings - and being forced to behave in a way that is contrary to their character; to accept help and sympathy.  In a way, this can apply to the comforter too, where the comforter maybe someone who is not used to being tactile or nurturing in the usual course of their lives - for instance, Castiel.

There doesn’t have to be a point to all this; I’m not bothered if the story doesn’t lead to any significant character growth or development.  I simply want to immerse myself in the strife and suffering of the victim and the caring and nurturing of the comforter.  It's chocolate cake for my soul!

As I am  only active in the Supernatural fandom, for me, H/C has to be Dean-centric to hold my attention, or in terms of RPF, Jensen-centric, as he is generally regarded as the more stoic partner in J2.  That also applies to any story where Dean or Jensen's facade of strength is broken, and an inner vulnerability is exposed, whether it  be physical, like an illness or a weakness, or psychological, like low self-esteem or shyness, it all works for me!

I believe touch and closeness is an enormous part of the human bonding experience.  I'm very tactile, and an enthusiastic hugger (and huggee!) so for me, to experience that closeness as an onlooker is every bit as satisfying.  That touch doesn’t have to be sexual, it can be completely platonic but a well-written H/C that ramps up the hurt and manages to tread the line of helplessness and vulnerability without crossing over into melodrama can grab me on such an intense and sub-conscious level, that it can literally leave me breathless.
I'm happy to read H/C which is both gen and slash, but for me in a slash H/C, the sex is completely secondary to the hurt/comfort element of the story, however well it’s written.

Here are a few recs of the kind of things I love ...
Not Such a
Damsel in Distress by [personal profile] sasha_dragon 
Royally Complicated  by Aythia
A Four-legged Friend by me!

summerstorm: (Default)

[personal profile] summerstorm 2018-01-11 09:42 pm (UTC)(link)
I can't believe I even remember this, it's been so long since I read in this fandom (also I know someone who's the same about the sex being secondary to H/C which they love), but this made me think of Gunshy, which I remember largely NOTHING about? What is the fandom memory etc. :p
fairyniamh: (Default)

[personal profile] fairyniamh 2018-01-12 04:46 am (UTC)(link)
My issue is dealing with the comfort part of Hurt/Comfort. I suck at it, but I enjoy reading it.
sillie: Aidan curls drawing (BigBang2012NSADIDJaredJensen)

[personal profile] sillie 2018-01-12 12:22 am (UTC)(link)
Yes, yes, and yes.

[identity profile] dizzojay.livejournal.com 2018-01-14 12:37 pm (UTC)(link)
I think we H/c fans all feel the same :)

[identity profile] fireheart13.livejournal.com 2018-01-12 02:40 am (UTC)(link)
it was interesting to read about how and why H/C is so strong for you. I knew you were a big fan, but now I see why more. Cool!

[identity profile] dizzojay.livejournal.com 2018-01-14 12:42 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you - it would be interesting to know if this is the same way other H/c fans feel!

[identity profile] julchen11.livejournal.com 2018-01-12 05:16 am (UTC)(link)
Yes, yes, double yes!

" It's chocolate cake for my soul!"

I couldn't have said it better!
Thaks for the recs, my dear. I'm looking Forward to readig them.

[identity profile] dizzojay.livejournal.com 2018-01-14 12:42 pm (UTC)(link)
I hope you enjoy them :)

[identity profile] jj1564.livejournal.com 2018-01-13 06:09 pm (UTC)(link)
I agree with you and this is exactly why I love it, too - "I love the idea of a strong, independent person becoming vulnerable, hopefully temporarily because I'm a sucker for happy endings - and .....being forced to behave in a way that is contrary to their character; to accept help and sympathy. "

And you are great a writing h/c - and hurting Dean!

Thanks for the recs.
Edited 2018-01-13 18:10 (UTC)

[identity profile] dizzojay.livejournal.com 2018-01-14 12:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you, I love writing H/c, especially the comfort part!
It's interesting that it affects you the same way - I wonder if that's the same for all H/c fans?
I know some people who are only interested i the hurt part and don't really care about the comfort. For me, they're like the two sides to an equation, you can't have one without the other!

I hope you enjoy the recs :)

[identity profile] sasha-dragon.livejournal.com 2018-01-13 07:59 pm (UTC)(link)
I love this post so much, you've explained the reason why i love H/C so perfectly, and thank you for reccing one of my stories and I love your hurt Sean stories, and I'm looking forward to reading the other story, i'm always on the look out for something new.

[identity profile] dizzojay.livejournal.com 2018-01-14 12:45 pm (UTC)(link)
I absolutely love your Damsel in Distress story - it's like you were living inside my head when you wrote it! :)